Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond has insisted he would be surprised if India does not pick Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming Champions Trophy in England.
The 41-year old who is currently working with Bumrah as the bowling mentor of Mumbai Indians, believes the pacer has all the attributes to be successful in all the formats of the game.
“I will be surprised if he is not in it (the squad). He will be a good bowler in all formats. At the moment he is a good ODI and T20 bowler,” the former New Zealand fast bowler told PTI in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
Bond further believes the home season has helped seam bowlers to develop their skills, as they have been bowling in 140ks at a consistent level in the IPL this season.
“India have been playing their cricket at home. (Ravichandran) Ashwin, (Ravindra) Jadeja are phenomenal in these conditions. But it has allowed the seam bowlers to come and make a real impact and bowl quick. Umesh (Yadav) has developed as a bowler.
“Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) hasn’t played much and the benefits of his rest can be seen as his pace has come up again. So, when India (play) away from home, they have got a seam bowling attack which is going to be a handful, given the right conditions,” said the 41-year-old.
Bond has also praised Hardik Pandya for his excellent all-rounder skills as well, as Bumrah who is getting better with his death bowling in the recent years.
“He (Bumrah) is a world class white-ball bowler and his reputation as a death bowler. He does bowl good yorkers. We try him with Hardik, get them to use the range of variations because people know Bum’s (Bumrah’s) yorkers are so good,” Bond said.
Speaking of Hardik Pandya’s all round skills, the 41-year old said:
“He (Hardik) is our quickest bowler along with Bumrah at the moment. I am really pleased with the way he is coming along and developing. He has got a lot on his plate. He’s a genuine all-rounder, so we have to be very careful about managing his bowling.”
Bond, who managed to take 147 ODI wickets in just 87 games in his career, has praised Mumbai Indians bowling as a whole, as the team are cruising towards playoff position after a string of starts to the ongoing season.
“I am really happy with the performance of the bowling group, not just the quick bowlers. We are lucky that Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) and Krunal (Pandya) are (also) bowling well. Karn Sharma got a game last night and did well.
“When we take the field, we are planned and have a lot of good strategies in place. We have bowlers who are capable of going and delivering out there,” quipped Bond.